So, you’ve got a new high refresh rate gaming monitor? And then, after playing some games, you realized that your current graphics card is capable of reaching 144Hz performance in exactly zero games? Now you need a GPU that will be able to render your favorite titles in 1440p resolution and above 100Hz. Don’t panic, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also got you covered in case you want to find out more about GPUs in general. Our graphics cards section has a ton of informative articles that will answer all your GPU-related questions.
Below you can find the ultimate list of the best graphics cards for 1440p 144Hz gaming. No matter if you want to play AAA titles on max details or just want to run games in 1440p resolution at 144Hz regardless of visuals, we’ve got you covered.
And if you’re interested in the fastest graphics cards for 1440p 144Hz gaming you might also check out our guide on the best graphics cards for 1080p 144Hz gaming. We also have a great guide on the best graphics cards for Intel Alder Lake CPUs. Finally, if you’re interested to see which GPUs are the fastest at the moment, visit our GPU hierarchy tier list for 2022.
1. EVGA RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming: Best Nvidia graphics card for 1440p 144Hz Gaming overall
Let’s get one thing straight before we start recommending best 1440p 144Hz graphics cards left and right. A true, zero compromise 1440p 144Hz graphics card for gaming doesn’t exist. Some games, such as AC: Valhalla, MS Flight Simulator, Cyberpunk 2077, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, or Control won’t get near 144Hz with all settings maxed and ray tracing turned on. But there are a couple of options that can run most games with maxed-out settings at 1440p and 144Hz. And if you want to go a step higher, you could visit our guide on the best 1440p 240Hz monitors.
We didn’t include the RTX 3090 because that card’s a clear overkill for 1440p. The AMD RX 6900 XT also isn’t included, for the same reasons. If you want the best performance in this resolution, get the RTX 3080 Ti instead.
The Ti version of the 3080 packs 12 gigs of blazing-fast GDDR6X memory coupled with high clocks and monstrous power requirements. The regular version of the card packs 10 gigs of equally fast GDDR6X memory and is about 10-12 percent slower than its beefier cousin.
In other words, you should expect a smooth 144fps or higher framerate with all settings cranked to the max. The usual AAA power hogs mentioned above won’t reach 144fps (some will even work below 100fps) with ultra settings. But hey, at least you’ll be able to play those games with ultra settings at framerates noticeably higher than 60fps.
And when it comes to less demanding games, not only will they work buttery smooth, they’ll most likely run at insane framerates, well above your monitor’s max refresh rate. In that case, we recommend downloading the RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) and using it as an external frame limiter. Just set the max framerate a couple of frames below your max refresh rate and you’re set.
2. PowerColor RX 6800 XT Red Devil: Best AMD graphics card for 1440p 144Hz gaming overall
The fastest 1440p 144Hz AMD GPU is the RX 6800 XT. The card is quite capable and, in rasterization, it’s faster than the RTX 3080@1440p. You also get 16GB of memory instead of 12GB. The memory’s slower (GDDR6 vs GDDR6X found on Nvidia cards) but AMD’s Infinity Cache makes up the difference in bandwidth. On the flipside, Nvidia cards have two big upsides. The first is better ray-tracing performance; the second is DLSS.
Yes, AMD did release FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) recently, which is the company’s answer to Nvidia’s DLSS. But firstly, FSR doesn’t look as good as DLSS and secondly, FSR works both with AMD and Nvidia cards. You won’t get the same level of performance boost when using an Nvidia GPU but still, you’re able to use it and reap performance benefits. Finally, if you look at the list of current and upcoming games with DLSS and/or FSR support, you’ll notice that DLSS has better support among developers.
3. PowerColor RX 6800 Red Dragon: Best value GPU for 1440p 144Hz gaming w/ no compromises
The RX 6800 is the third-fastest card from AMD and one of the best GPUs for high refresh rate 1440p gaming overall. The RX 6800 is a tad slower (about 12 percent) than the RX 6800 XT. Still, this GPU does offer one of the best 1440p high refresh rate experiences. 16 gigs of fast memory will make sure you’ll be able to run next-gen titles, once these come out. Overall, a card that can run any game in triple-digit framerates as long as you don’t touch ray-tracing effects.
Ray tracing performance is far from Nvidia counterparts and there’s no DLSS support. But the card is noticeably faster than the RTX 3070 while being on par with the more expensive RTX 3070 Ti. You won’t be able to run the latest AAA titles at 144fps but a great majority of current titles will run well above 144fps. That said, even the most demanding AAA games will run at or near 100fps, which should be more than enough for single-player experiences.
4. EVGA RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming: Best value graphics card for high refresh rate 1440p AAA gaming
If you’re ready to lower some visual settings to achieve 144 FPS in most games, you don’t have to get one of the fastest cards available today. The RTX 3070 Ti should do the trick. This is a pretty fast card and an excellent value GPU for high refresh rate 1440p gaming. You won’t be able to achieve 144fps with ultra settings but drop down visuals down a notch and you’ll get there.
5. EVGA RTX 3060 Ti FTW Ultra Gaming: Best bang-for-buck 1440p 144Hz Nvidia GPU
The RTX 3060 Ti is the best bang for the buck GPU for 1440p high refresh rate gaming, at least if we’re looking at the MSRP. The card’s about 15 percent slower than the RTX 3070 which translates into triple-digit performance in most games with options cranked to the max. The most demanding AAA titles will have to see their settings turned down a notch to get the high refresh rate experience. Either that or turning on DLSS where possible.
In some games, such as Control or Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll have to do both if you want to reach triple-digit performance. If DLSS isn’t available (like in AC: Valhalla) either play at medium-high settings or settle for a 60fps experience. Of course, as is the case with all GPUs featured up to this point, any esports game will run wondrously on this GPU.
6. PowerColor RX 6700 XT Hellhound: Best bang-for-buck AMD GPU for 1440p 144Hz gaming
The AMD RX 6700 XT is very similar in performance to the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3070. AMD’s offering has more graphic memory (12GB vs 8GB on the RTX 3060 Ti/RTX 3070) and is a bit faster at 1440p. On the flip side, there’s no DLSS support and you’re getting noticeably worse ray tracing performance. This translates into near-triple digit framerates in AAA titles with settings turned down to medium-high, even when playing the worst offenders when it comes to system requirements.
This also means that, if you’re ready for a 60fps experience in single-player AAA titles, you’ll be able to enjoy them with all settings cranked to the max. Of course, this also means no ray tracing since RTX effects will tank performance way below the 60fps mark in games that support it. Older AAA titles and multiplayer games should give you 144fps performance with max settings.
7. XFX RX 6600 XT Speedster SWFT 210: Best value GPU for 1440p 144Hz gaming
The RX 6600 XT is the latest graphics card from AMD that’s about 10 percent faster than the RTX 3060. With this level of performance we could just put it in the lower performance bracket. However, we’ve decided that it’s fast enough to be the minimum requirement for high refresh rate 1440p AAA gaming.
With that said, the RX 6600 XT’s high refresh AAA gaming promise has a lot of limitations. First of all, forget about max settings. Hell, forget even about most settings set to high, at least when it comes to the most demanding games. If you want a high refresh AAA experience, be ready to lower most of the settings to medium. A medium-high setting combo should be enough for a 60fps AAA experience in most titles. And, of course, forget about ray tracing.
8GB of GDDR6 memory should be enough for a solid gaming experience in current and upcoming games since this isn’t a card made for running games at 1440p with max settings. And of course, esports titles should push high framerates, often surpassing the 240fps mark.
8. Zotac Gaming RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC: Best graphics card for eSports 1440p 144Hz gaming
Overall, the RTX 3060 is slower than the RX 6600 XT but if you ask us, the Nvidia card is a better choice at the moment. Sure, it’s slower but it has DLSS support that can push certain titles well over 100fps with DLSS enabled. Further, some demanding games, such as Watch Dogs: Legion, can be enjoyed at 60fps with ultra settings with DLSS. Finally, the RTX 3060 comes with a whopping 12GB of memory, plenty of memory for current and future titles.
You should reach at least 60 frames per second in demanding AAA games with high-medium settings. Older AAA titles (Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Borderlands 3, even RDR 2) will run well above 60fps will high/max settings. Overall, not too shabby. The only major downside of the RTX 3060 is the price. Still, if you want the best performance in esports titles, the RTX 3060 is the best high refresh rate 1440p gaming card for gamers who prefer playing multiplayer games.
9. Zotac Gaming GTX 1660 Super: Best budget graphics card for 1440p 144Hz gaming
The GTX 1660 Super is the minimum we recommend for gamers who want to have a high refresh rate 1440p experience. This card will run most esports titles at over 100fps with the highest settings. Some titles, such as COD: Warzone or Apex Legends, will have to see many visual options lowered to achieve triple-digit performance.
When it comes to AAA games, you’ll have to sacrifice a lot when it comes to visuals to reach even 60fps, let alone 100fps or higher framerate. The lack of DLSS support hurts the GTX 1660 Super the most. If the card supported DLSS it could run every AAA game with DLSS support without issues @60fps or higher without lowering graphical settings too much. At least it supports AMD FSR. Finally, only 6 gigs of memory mean using lower resolution textures in most AAA titles.
Some minimum requirements to compliment your card for 144Hz gaming
Let’s talk about other components needed for 1440p 144Hz gaming. First of all, you need a capable CPU. We wouldn’t go with anything lower than the Core i5 9400 (the 9400F version without the integrated GPU is noticeably cheaper) or Ryzen 5 3600.
The best price to performance choices includes CPUs such as the Intel Core i5 10400F, 11400F, 10600KF, and 10700KF. Ryzen offers the fastest gaming CPUs at the moment, with the Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5800X, and Ryzen 9 5900X. When it comes to memory, 16GB of fast RAM (3200MHz and higher) is the sweet spot. If you own a Zen 2 or 3 processor, go with 3600MHz/3800MHz low-latency memory. Ryzen CPUs love fast memory that works in sync with Infinity Fabric. If you want to find out more about how RAM affects performance read our RAM vs CPU guide.
